A study published November 1 in the journal Menopause found that the women who ate by themselves were 2.58 times more likely to have angina, a symptom of coronary artery disease. Angina is pain or discomfort that feels like pressure or squeezing in the chest, caused by a lack of blood going to the heart.
Heart Disease in Older Women
The risk for heart attack, stroke or heart disease goes up for everyone — both men and women — as we grow older, especially for people older than 65, according to the National Institute on Aging. For women, at least part of the increased heart disease risk that comes with age seems to be tied to the decline in the levels of the hormone estrogen that occurs after menopause. Estrogen has many positive effects on heart health: It decreases LDL (bad) cholesterol, increases HDL (good) cholesterol, relaxes, smooths, and dilates blood vessels to increase the flow of blood, and soaks up free radicals, which are particles that can damage the arteries, according to Cleveland Clinic.
Older Women Who Ate Alone Consumed Fewer Calories
To find out if eating alone influenced heart risk, investigators used data from 590 menopausal women age 65 and older from the 2016 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 7-1. Participants who ate more than two meals a day alone were assigned to an eating-alone (EA) group and those who ate more than two meals a day with others were assigned to an eating-with-others (EO) group. After analyzing the data on eating habits and heart risk, researchers concluded that not only did the older women who ate alone have a high risk for heart disease, they also ate fewer calories, including less carbohydrates, dietary fiber, sodium, and potassium than those who ate with others. The solo diners also had less overall knowledge about food labels and nutritional needs. Based on these findings, doctors and families should encourage older women to maintain social networks and reiterate the importance of connections with others, says Laxmi Mehta, MD, professor in the division of cardiovascular medicine and director of preventative cardiology and women’s cardiovascular health at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus. Dr. Mehta was not involved in this research. “The findings also remind us of a teaching opportunity — whether a person is alone or not — to remind our patients or family members about the value of reading labels and healthy eating to avoid possibly preventable healthcare encounters,” says Mehta.
Eating Alone Is Associated With Depression
Being alone can sometimes be associated with depression, says Mehta. “When patients are depressed, they are more likely to make poorer health choices in terms of unhealthy diet, lack of exercise, and increased alcohol consumption,” she says. These are all factors that can negatively impact heart health, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Earlier studies have shown a connection between mood and eating alone. A study published in BMC Geriatrics found that eating alone might be independently associated with symptoms of depression in women between ages 60 and 74. Depression appears to have a bidirectional relationship with heart health, meaning that depression is linked to a greater likelihood of developing heart disease, and people with heart disease appear to be more likely to be depressed, according to the American Heart Association.
Weighing the Health Risks And Benefits of Eating With Others During the Pandemic
A major challenge in older adults is that of social networks, elements related to mood or cognition, and in particular, the challenges of social isolation as a result of COVID-19, says John Batsis, MD, associate professor of geriatric medicine at the UNC School of Medicine in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. “Specifically, older women often are widowed, and if they reside independently at home, may not have a network of family or friends that check in on them. The increased isolation as a result of COVID have only magnified these challenges,” he says. Although all of us would love to get back to pre-pandemic living, we aren’t there yet, says Mehta. “There are safety issues that must be considered since dining together requires masks off and being in close proximity to each other,” she adds. If you’re considering dining with people outside your household, you need to be vaccinated with both the COVID-19 and influenza vaccines, unless you have a contraindication to vaccinations and have discussed this with your healthcare provider, says Mehta. Dr. Batsis agrees that the first step in this decision should be immunization for COVID-19 and the flu — as well as knowing if the person or people you are dining with are vaccinated. Following CDC guidelines about eating outdoors when possible, minimizing large groups, washing hands and social distancing will also help reduce the risk, he says. A discussion with your healthcare provider and family about your personal risks at a social gathering can help you make an informed decision, says Mehta. If you decide there is too much risk, there still is a lot of value in virtual dining, she says. “Social connectedness can still be maintained virtually and allows people to have mealtime conversations and oversight of meal choices.”
